During the 2021 Oregon legislative session, NAYA set out to advocate for an ambitious set of priorities, pushing for the passage of bills that uplift the Indigenous community. We’re always pursuing positive change, but the new opportunities, changes in representation, and the rapid increase in communities’ activism made these efforts all the more pressing. DespiteView Article >
Prior to March 2020, NAYA’s kitchen staff—led by longtime Kitchen Manager Laura Booth—would arrive most mornings by 8 a.m., and prepare breakfast. On any given morning, the smell of bacon or pancakes would fill the NAYA lobby, as smiling community elders, Many Nations Academy students, and NAYA staff would line up in the hallway outsideView Article >
501(c)(4) organization will broaden political advocacy for Native community The Portland-based Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), is pleased to announce the creation of the NAYA Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization which will amplify NAYA’s already-strong political advocacy and engagement. As a social welfare-classified organization, the NAYA Action Fund can conduct lobbying, electoral organizing for politicalView Article >
tw: physical, sexual abuse, suicide, substance abuse, child death NAYA offers its heartbroken prayers and condolences to all who have been impacted by news of the discovery of the mass gravesite of 215 children at a Canadian residential school. These prayers are for the families directly impacted, but also our Indigenous relatives around the worldView Article >
Gloria Gonzalez was two years into a five-year lease on a studio space for her business Vida Massage when the pandemic hit. Her storefront shuttered for 18 weeks before reopening, and even then, things were slow and the number of clients would ebb and flow. Gonzalez was unsure how she’d survive—until NAYA called with anView Article >
May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. Click here to watch NAYA Foster Care Support Specialist Daryle Conquering Bear discuss the impact that NAYA’s support programs can make on the lives of our young clients. Currently, there are over 430,000 youth in foster care. Statistics show that Native American children are far more likely toView Article >
“I think that NAYA’s housing program is very important. I think it’s life-changing for some people. If you can get involved in the program and you know what’s happening and you have the right person, I mean, they’re really awesome. They’re really awesome. They’re very supportive.” -Freya Meet Freya, who shares her story from beingView Article >
A Message from NAYA Executive Director Paul Lumley This past month marked one year since the COVID-19 pandemic required us to quarantine for the safety and protection of our communities. Across social media, you may have noticed friends and family posting different ways they’ve commemorated these “Quar-Anniversaries.” We at NAYA thought it a good ideaView Article >
January 13 was a momentous day for Rayven Settler, Yakama, and her son. After years of dreaming, planning, and hard work, it was finally move-in day at the home she had just purchased, making her a first-time homebuyer at last. Settler recently sat down to talk with us about her journey to homeownership, how NAYA’sView Article >
The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) wishes to extend this message of solidarity and support to our Asian-American relatives in Portland. NAYA further condemns recent incidents of anti-Asian bigotry, bullying, harassment, and violence in our community. In this past year, our city has seen long overdue conversations about racial and social justice finallyView Article >